Bognor Regis Flog It!

For more than 30 years, this town has played host to a heart-stopping event.

Thousands of competitors flock here each year to jump off the end

of that pier, in the hope that they're going to fly.

Yes, Flog It has landed in Bognor Regis.

The Bognor Birdman competition

attracts daredevils from around the world

who all want to fly the furthest.

Over the years, would-be aviators have built

all sorts of enterprising machines and contraptions

to help try to defy nature.

It's that adventurous spirit which has brought this massive crowd out here today at Butlin's.

These owners are hoping they're lucky ones,

where their item just flies way at auction.

Taking a leap of faith with their valuations are our experts, Catherine Southon and Charlie Ross.

Chocks away, it's time to take off.

With this many bags and boxes to rummage through, there is plenty of excitement to come.

But first, Charlie's found a real gem.

But before he gets stuck in,

John wants to show him something rather dashing.

John, this is rather a frightening-looking object.

Why have you brought this along?

Well, I use it as a prop in my balancing act.

-You're a balancing act?

-Yes, I...

-Not surely with this?!

-Yes, I...

-Do you stand on it?

-No, I balance it on my nose and walk over ladders.

-Here at Butlin's?

I worked at Butlin's 40 years ago and Clacton and Skegness.

I entered a talent competition called the National People Talent Competition. I won a free holiday!

I have got a showing off bit of paper here.

-A showing off bit of paper?

-This is the bayonet there.

-Were you called Johnny Pierce?

-Yes.

-Is that your real name?

-Yes, yes.

-Oh, it is.

But tell me - you're not English, are you?

-No. I changed it by deed poll.

-Oh, did you?

I've been over here 70 years.

-Good Lord!

-I'm one of the fortunate people who escaped the Nazis and I came from Berlin in 1938.

-Gosh!

-My father sent me to England.

-Just in the nick of time.

-He saved my life, yes.

We'll come to that in a minute. What have we got in here?

After the war, we were living in Tooting.

And a photo album arrived out of the blue,

with photographs of my grandmother, and this was inside, slotted in, in the book.

-It was stuck in there and it came through.

-So, smuggled?

Well, whether it's smuggled, I don't know.

Then the people who sent it to me, I went to get in touch with them, but they've all passed away now.

They were actually colleagues of my father, my father worked with,

that knew him and they knew of his fate, and this came in my possession.

Let's have a look at it.

It's a very pretty ring, set with three good-sized diamonds in the middle.

Very deco in looking, very 1920s. What I call the Charleston era.

Yes, that is. Yes.

I have to say I think it's extremely beautiful,

-but not necessarily the most commercial, in terms of design these days.

-Mm-hm.

People tend to go for plainer rings, single-stone, three-stone diamond rings rather than such intricacies.

-Yes.

-Have you ever had it valued?

I had it valued quite a while ago at between...

just...250, 350, something like that.

-I think that's pretty well spot-on.

-Mm-hm.

-I'd like to put a valuation of 300 to 400 on it.

-Thank you very much.

With a fixed reserve, below which thou shalt not go...of £250.

-Yes, fine.

-You happy with that?

Yes, I would be. My wife would be happy, and the kids would be too.

Good. We'll put that into the sale, and you take your balancing act home with you to practise.

-John, thank you so much.

-Thank YOU very much.

Rhona, this is a delightful charger you've brought along to Flog It today. Thank you very much.

I saw this in the queue and I pounced upon you, because I love it. I just think it's very striking.

Tell me a little bit about it. Where did you get it from?

-It came from an antique shop in Arundel.

-Oh, lovely!

-My father was an antiques dealer in Bognor Regis.

-Right.

-He used to visit this particular dealer and he picked it out

among some other things one day and he gave it to me, and I've looked after it for 45 years.

But now it's no longer my colour scheme and something I don't need any longer.

This is quite contemporary.

I would think it would fit quite well in today's...

It would fit someone else's room. It just doesn't fit in mine at the moment.

I've had a lot of pleasure from it.

It's a chance for someone else to enjoy it.

Do you know anything about it? Do you know who it was designed by?

-It says "Burleigh Ware" on the reverse.

-Right.

-I think you probably know the designer.

-Let's just take a little look.

Let's turn it over.

When I saw this earlier, I did think it was Burleigh, but it's actually Bursley,

Bursley Ware.

Charlotte Read designed for Bursley Ware in the 1920s.

We can date this almost exactly to between 1922 and 1926.

Because after 1926, she actually designed for a different factory.

What I like about it is, it's got the real Charlotte Read trademark

of this wonderful...tube lining here, which is what she's famous for.

You can feel that it's raised, it's got that texture to it.

It's almost as if it has been piped with an icing bag.

I just think it's wonderful, it's got that lovely texture,

the colours are so vibrant and so strong -

these lovely cobalt blues and nice vibrant oranges.

It's in fantastic condition. There's no real damage to it.

Looking at it there, is that three tiny chips?

-Maybe where I've cut food on it...

-SHE GASPS

I used it as a...

as a party plate...for a big pizza.

-Right. For a big pizza!

-I have to say, it's been very useful.

Right, OK. Estimate-wise, you say your father bought it from an antiques dealer

quite some time ago. Any ideas?

-45 years ago, he paid £5 for it...

-£5?!

-..which was quite a lot then. I know it isn't now.

-I think it's worth between £100 and £150.

-Really?

-Goodness!

-Absolutely.

I'm going to put an £80 reserve on it, but it should really sell between 100 and 150.

I love the colours and I thank you so much for bringing it along. You've made my day.

Thank you, because you've made MY day.

I had no idea it was that high.

-Sheila, it's a presentation cup you've brought along.

-Yes.

It was presented to...is it Monty?

No, I think it was Alfred...Taylor.

-Oh, "A Taylor", yes. What's the top name?

-"Won by."

-Oh, won by!

-"Won by A Taylor."

-I need some new glasses!

"Won by A Taylor, November 14th, 1908."

What was it won for?

It was for best budgie in a...

It was for what?!

The best budgie in a show

at a budgerigar club.

It was an enormous cup for a budgie.

-It's about ten times bigger than a budgie!

-I know!

-Was it the best-looking budgie?

-I suppose they were breeders. I don't know.

If you belonged to a budgie club, you probably bred budgies.

What constituted a prize budgie, I have no idea.

Who won it? Who was this person?

-He was a great-great uncle of mine.

-Right.

He had no children, so it got passed down through the family.

-With the story?

-With the story.

It was told to me by an aunt, that he decided to buy a nice silver cup

-to be presented to the next winner of the best budgie.

-Right.

He actually went out and bought this lovely silver cup,

and behold, who won it but Uncle Alfred!

-Himself!

-So, he bought himself a trophy.

-I'm afraid so. And he kept it!

How wonderful!

Isn't that selfish?

Well, it's extremely selfish.

It's very nicely decorated with ferns.

This cup was made in London,

and it's got an "n", which dates it to 1908.

So it's absolutely right that he went out and bought it new.

So he probably bought it in the spring and won it by November.

And had it engraved.

This wouldn't have been a cheap thing to go out and buy, silver.

-Obviously, he thought a huge amount of money not only of his budgie but himself.

-I think so.

There's a bit of vanity in there, isn't there? Yes, indeed!

Sadly, because it's "Won by A Taylor",

-that removes quite a bit of value from the trophy.

-Yes.

It's possible that if somebody purchased this,

they could flood out the engraving,

but it tends to make it very thin and it's also very expensive.

Of course, if you went to a shop to buy that,

you'd be paying probably £150, £200 for a silver trophy.

The sale value for the budgie trophy of 1908

-is, top side, £40 or £50.

-Pity.

Sadly, I know.

-If you're in agreement, we'd sell up and it wouldn't really need a reserve.

-Right. Oh...

We could put a reserve of £30, £40 on it, if you'd like?

-I'd rather put a reserve on it.

-You don't want it to sell for a fiver, do you?

-No, I don't.

No, if there's nobody bidding for silver. It was quite nice for flower arranging.

We'll do that, we'll put a fixed reserve of £30 on it.

That would be very nice, thank you.

Thank you very much for bringing it along.

Robin, I do love a piece of Lalique. And this is absolutely beautiful.

Lovely, stylised item here,

with these wonderful little holes at the top.

-So it would have been like a posy vase.

-Yes.

But we've got these wonderful, stylised doves

at the front here, interlocking.

Tell me, where did you get it from?

Well, my company imported them, back in the '60s.

They were the people who imported all the top crystals from France.

They sold these pieces, from the showrooms, off to staff.

-So your company had actually imported these from France?

-Yes.

-And they were just selling them off at the end?

-Yes.

Fantastic. And you picked this one up?

I picked this, fell in love with it.

It cost me two weeks' wages, but I thought, I've got to have it,

-it's the only chance I'll get to have a bit of Lalique.

-Wonderful.

What did you love about it?

Just the style of it.

It was so elegant, and I just had to have a piece.

It is absolutely, I think elegant is the word, really.

The way these beautiful birds come into one another, interlock.

This lovely frosted glass.

We also know that there was opalescent glass.

This one is that lovely frosted colour.

I'm just going to turn this over.

-Gosh, it is a weighty piece, isn't it?

-It is.

And we can see there, we've got the signature on the bottom.

Etched in, Lalique. Of course, Rene Lalique died in '45.

And I think that this particular piece was designed by his granddaughter, Marie-Claude.

She was working from the '60s until the 1990s.

And you think that you bought it probably in...?

-'62, '63, yes.

-'62, '63.

You say it cost you a fair amount.

It cost me £58, 10 shillings, which was two weeks' wages.

-It's amazing that you remember.

-I remember it very distinctly, it was a lot of money.

-Absolutely. Robin, you're obviously attached to this.

-Yes.

-It's an important part of your life, your working history.

-Yes!

With that in mind, I know that I've got to be a bit punchy with my estimate.

Shall I say about 250 to 350?

-How does that sound?

-That's fine by me.

-Are you happy with that? And a fixed reserve of 250.

-Yes.

And I hope that it flies away at the auction and does well for us.

-Thank you.

-Thanks very much.

This is my favourite part of the show because we get to put those valuations to the test.

-Our experts normally get things right, don't they?

-Yes.

Yeah, we trust them!

While we make our way over to Chichester, here is a quick recap,

just to jog your memory, of all the items going under the hammer.

Robin bought this stunning dove-shaped Lalique posy vase

in the 1960s and it certainly was a considered purchase.

I just fell in love with it. It cost two weeks' wage but I had to have it.

Sheila's Edwardian silver cup was bought by her great-great uncle

as a prize in the best budgie competition.

But with surprising results...

Behold, who won it but Uncle Alfred!

-Himself!

-So he bought himself a trophy?

I'm afraid so, and he kept it.

John's diamond ring belonged to his grandmother

and was smuggled out of post-war Germany by friends.

This was inside, slotted in the book.

Stuck in there and it came through.

Catherine was really taken with this Charlotte Read charger

but horrified to learn what Rhona's been using it for.

-I've cut food on it.

-Oh! I've used it as a party plate.

-Right.

-It's perfect for a big pizza.

-Right.

I've headed east to Arundel in search of a bit of peace and quiet.

But it's not the most famous landmark I've come to see.

Tucked away in the grounds of Arundel Castle is an oasis

that's undergone a remarkable transformation

to blossom into its present-day beauty.

Up until two years ago, this was an ugly concrete mess.

And now...just look at it.

This formal garden has literally been dug out of an old dilapidated car park.

It took a team of more than 30 less than two years to complete.

I've come to meet up with head gardener Gerry Kelsey to find out more.

Gerry, there's a lot of work,

a great deal of work in creating a garden like this.

Where did you start?

It all started from an idea that me and the Duchess had.

We were standing in the existing Victorian garden about ten years ago.

We thought, "Wouldn't it be marvellous to create a garden

"in the car park space?"

All we could see was number plates and it just did not go with the garden.

So the idea really started from there.

-Yeah. Did you have to create these levels yourself?

-Yes, we did.

We had JCBs come in and literally scoop out the bottom area

and take it away and level it completely.

This is the result.

And if you want to know how this crown sits aloft, just watch.

A touch of magic!

Even though this space is only two years old,

it still manages to evoke the atmosphere and style of a formal 17th-century European garden,

while at the same time allowing Gerry

to indulge his passion for sub-tropical plants.

For today's auction, we've headed inland to the cathedral city of Chichester.

This is where we're going to put all our experts' valuations to the test.

We've got a full house at Henry Adams Auctioneers

in the heart of the town.

I hope this lot are here to bid. Will we be in for a few surprises?

Will our items fly away?

Let's hope auctioneer Cliff Beacher can work his magic

and send all our owners home happy.

We've got Rhona's Charlotte Read charger going under the hammer right now.

That was a good spot - a fiver! How long ago?

A long time ago. 1964. So, quite a while ago.

-And you've had a lot of use out of this as well?

-I have.

I've been cutting up pizzas on it.

Use it, use your antiques, that's what I say.

-Yes.

-Good for you, Rhona!

I like things if they're lovely to look at and useful.

-I'd like to see the top end.

-I would on this - it's a cracking piece.

It just worries me that you've cut up your pizza on it!

Let's find out what the bidders think.

Here we go, it's going under the hammer.

Lot 260, Bursley Ware circular charger -

there it is, Charlotte Read design.

Where am I started for this one? £100?

£50 I'll start it, then, £50 for this one. 50, £50, 5, 60, 5, 70.

5, 75, 80 I'd like, 80 I see upstairs.

And 5, sir? 85.

90, upstairs? 90. 95.

-100.

-Those colours are so vivid.

-110?

110, 120, upstairs at £120,

£120, at 120. 30 now? At £120.

-Yes! Well done, Rhona.

-Thank you very much!

What a good eye you've got for spotting that.

I haven't got to carry it home, cos it's very heavy.

That looks heavy. What are you going to do with your pizzas now?

-How are you going to cut those up?

-Buy smaller ones!

It's not a lot of money, Sheila, but it's certainly a lot of fun.

The best budgie in show! Picked by our expert Charlie, here.

Incredible. This was your great-great-uncle's?

Yes, it was and it's been passed down.

How do you value that?

It's worth the value of the silver because it's engraved.

-It's lost some of its value. It can't be reused.

-Yes, indeed.

Why sell it, Sheila?

Well, it's been in a cabinet for 15 years and it has got no use at all.

My children don't want, someone else can have it.

It's going under the hammer.

Let's hope we get the top end - £60.

-Good luck, Sheila.

-Thank you.

And Lot 74, an Edwardian silver chalice. London 1908.

A starter for this one - £50? 50 I've got all over the place.

-55, 60.

-£50!

5, 70?

70, standing up, 70.

On my left at £70, standing up at 70.

At £70. In the room at £70.

5 anywhere? £70 to you. £70 then.

Selling forever at £70.

Straight in and straight out. £70!

-Big surprise!

-That's excellent.

-That's a lot more than the scrap value.

-It is, isn't it?

-Yes!

-I think it's novelty value.

I think it's a great novelty thing. It really is.

Best budgie in show!

I might be able to afford a whole case of wine now instead of half!

Who'd have thought of such a thing? Is that what you're putting the money towards?

Wine, yes. But I might get a whole case for 70!

-Will you lay it down and use it as an investment?

-Oh, no.

-No, wine's for drinking, isn't it?

Sheila, I'll have a glass with you.

Next up, we've got a frosted shaped vase, but it's not any old frosted shaped vase.

It's a Rene Lalique, one of the top names in glass design.

It belongs to Robin, here,

with a value of £250-£350 put on by Catherine.

Quality, quality, quality.

Why are you selling this, Robin?

Well, I'd had it over 40 years, and really and truthfully,

although I've enjoyed it, I think it's about time it went.

But it's in fantastic condition. It's a lovely, elegant piece. So, hopefully, we should do all right.

I think you will. It's a sought-after name.

Very, very collectible.

-Yes.

-Let's find out what this lot think. Here we go.

That brings us on to lot 415,

the Lalique frosted and clear glass vase, modelled as two doves.

-It is beautiful. It catches the light so well.

-It does.

£200? £100 for a start, then.

100, thank you, all over the place. 110, 120. 130, 140. With me at £140.

150 anywhere? 160, 170, 180,

190, 200.

210? 210.

220, 230,

240, 250.

250, upstairs in the balcony at 250.

At £250.

260, fresh face. 260, standing up.

-Back of the room, at 260...

-You're happy with this, aren't you?

270, lady came in. 280, 290, 300.

310, 320.

This is fantastic.

320, still with the gentleman. At £320, have you done and finished?

320.

-We did it.

-That was fantastic, I'm surprised, actually.

-£320!

Quality. Quality always sells.

Adding a real sparkle to the sale room right now we've got John's diamond ring.

Thank you so much for turning up with that.

And entertaining us all day long with your balancing act stories

back in Butlin's!

Lots of tales here, Charlie. This ring has had an amazing journey.

And it's come back to the family.

-Yes.

-Posted to you.

Yes, inside a photo album, cut out, smuggled really, into the country from abroad.

-Incredible, isn't it? We had a chat to the auctioneer. You don't know this.

-No.

-Cliff said, "Totally agree with it, should do the top end."

-Good.

-Lovely.

-It's going under the hammer. The diamond ring is up for grabs.

161. Diamond ring, circa 1920.

Where am I started for this one?

-300? 200?

-Come on.

-200, I'll start at 200.

210, 220, 230, 40, 50, £250 with me.

260, 270, 280, 290, 300 and 20.

350. 380.

£380 with me on the book. 400 upstairs.

-We've done it.

-420. 450. 450.

Upstairs at 450. It's in the room.

470, 500.

-520, 550, 570...

-Fantastic.

-..600.

-£600!

-At £600, at 600, 20 anywhere else?

£600, and selling upstairs at £600.

£600! Great, great result, John.

You've got to be so happy.

I'm very happy. My wife's sitting over there and she's happy.

Most probably she's fainted already! I've got to give her the kiss of life.

-We've only been married 63 years!

-Aw...and still in love.

-We are.

-Thank you so much for entertaining us today, and I hope we've entertained you at home.

Stay tuned for plenty more surprises, but sadly we've run out of time here in Chichester,

so, till the next time, cheerio from all of us.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd